From viewing Peng Jian’s new works, one can see that the subject matter of these paintings are no longer the traditional icons of the past – mountains and lakes, flowers and birds – but instead, the painting’s surface is adorned with everyday objects, like glass bottles, mixed with pieces and fragments of mechanical parts.

The objects depicted in these works are still life, however, different from the still life paintings we have seen in the past.  Whether viewing these works through Western or Eastern painting aesthetics, the images presented here give viewers a sense of misalignment between reality and illusion.

These new works offer us a new perspective to reconsider our understanding of Chinese painting. As Peng Jian explains, “The objects I portray in my paintings are things I have seen and touched in my life. They must have a sense of existence to me. The bottle in the painting, although it is not a classic form, it embodies the pureness and simplicity of contemporary art, while incorporating the refined atmosphere of traditional Chinese Song painting”.